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Local News for Tuesday 5th April 2016

Get ready to voteWith the Scottish Parliament election fast approaching the Comhairle is urging residents to look out for the Electoral Commission's voter information guide, which will be landing on doormats this week. On Thursday 5 May voters in Scotland will go to the polls for the Scottish Parliament election. The Electoral Commission's voter information guide will be delivered to every household in Scotland over the next week. If you want to be able to vote and have your say at the election, the deadline to register is Monday 18 April. Malcom Burr, Returning Officer for Na h-Eileanan an Iar said: "I would encourage everyone in Na H-Eileanan an Iar to look out for the Electoral Commission's voter information guide. It gives you all the information you need to ensure that you can have your say at the Scottish Parliament election on 5 May. If you're not registered to vote, you have until 18 April to apply online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote."

Local News for Wednesday 6th April 2016

Dog chips create Bayhead tailbackThere were unprecedented scenes on Bayhead in Stornoway yesterday morning, as dogs and their owners queued down the street for a free micro-chip surgery organised by the charity Dogs Trust. After being forced to cancel Monday afternoon’s session due to cancelled planes, the Dogs Trust representatives were determined to make the Tuesday morning session count. Nearly 400 dogs were given micro-chips in an extended session at the Bridge Centre, with pet-owners prepared to queue for some time to make the most of the charity’s free service. Vets in Stornoway have also been working flat out to administer the chips, with micro-chipping dogs due to become a legal requirement today. There are fines of up to £500 pet owners who do not get their dog chipped. Stornoway vet Hector Lowe said: “We’ve been micro-chipping dogs for some time now and will carry on doing so, with plans for extra evening sessions to help people as this law comes into force. We will be holding evening sessions in Stornoway next week, and will be in North Lochs on Thursday night this week, and South Harris next week.”

Local News for Thursday 7th April 2016

CalMac changes travel alertsFerry operator CalMac is changing the way it alerts customers to disrupted services following feedback from passengers. An additional ‘yellow’ service status is being added to the existing green, amber and red to give passengers clearer information about potential disruption. "We asked the public what we could do to make their journey easier in the face of weather disruption and the overwhelming response was that they wanted more information," said CalMac's director of operations, Drew Collier. “The existing amber alert covered too broad a range of situations and caused confusion”. The yellow alert will tell customers to check for updates before travelling, as there is a possibility of disruption. Amber alerts will now inform customers that one or more sailings are disrupted. The red alert will continue to be used to indicate when all sailings on a route are cancelled for the remainder of the day. The new alert system will go live from Monday April 11th.

Local News for Friday 8th April 2016

Football season startsThe highly anticipated 2016 island football season kicks off tonight with the Tech Mobile-sponsored Acres Boys Club Cup. The only first round fixture to be played will be Back V Westside , kicking off at 6.30pm, the Stornoway United V Carloway match postponed as the Goathill pitch is unplayable. That match has been rearranged for next Wednesday, 13th April, with the Westside v Carloway league match scheduled for that night moving to Monday 25th April.

Local News for Monday 11th April 2016

Islands mourn fishermen lost at seaThe islands are in mourning today after tragedy at sea claimed the lives of two men, with a third still missing. The UK Coastguard received a distress alert just before 3:45am on Saturday, when the emergency positioning beacon (EPIRB) of the Stornoway-registered FV Louisa was activated near Mingulay. Stornoway Coastguard search and rescue helicopter and Barra lifeboat were sent to the scene, and one man was recovered and taken immediately to hospital. Two other men were later recovered from the water but were sadly deceased. A fourth crew member remains unaccounted for. The fishing vessel had sunk at the scene. Searches for the missing fisherman continued for most of the weekend, with the rescue helicopter from Prestwick, coastguard volunteers from Uist and Barra and other fishing vessels also joining the search, which included the coastline of Mingulay. Stornoway Coastguard volunteers provided back-up in Uist, and the Police Scotland Air Support Unit operated from Benbecula airport, which was opened to provide support. Chief Inspector Alastair Garrow said: “All of the partners are determined to do everything they can to help the family and the commmunity deal with this tragedy. The next of kin of all the men have been informed. Police Scotland have an enquiry team working alongside other agencies and the known circumstances will be reported to the Procurator Fiscal. There will be further investigations necessary to fully establish what has happened.” Coastguard officials said an investigation would be carried out together with Police Scotland and the Marine Accident and Investigation Branch (MAIB). Mark Rodaway, National Maritime Operations Commander for UK Coastguard said: : "This has been a tragic incident which will impact on the local community. Our thoughts are with the families affected."